Of Luck and Booze (FINISHED)

Arc trotted to the bar and waved at Cocktail.

"Cocktail, can i have one whiskey, one half scotch halw water and one cider, but something younger, not the harder stuff?"

Returning to the pair, he overheard Breezes' worries.

"Here you go, one weaker cider, one half scotch, half water. Anyway, i never properly introduced myslef, my name is Arc Weld."

Gently took a taste of the hard cider. It tasted like a sort of... bitter apple sweetness. Like an apple-wine. She decided that she liked it alright, and took another sip. Seeing what alcohol could do to ponies (and other species, as well), she decided that a few sips every so often would be enough. Just enough to savor the taste.

"This isn't bad at all," she said, looking at Atriark, and then to Arc Weld. "I'm glad I tried it, actually."

"Just don't drink too much, like I have. After this drink, you can go home if you want. I will go try to find a place to stay after this as well. Too much to drink." Atriark said and took his scotch. He still had his arm wrapped around Gentle as he took a sip of his scotch.

Winter chuckled at his joke and had taken a moment to look around the bar to see how the situation had eased back into a more civil atmosphere as ponies began talking amongst themselves once more. She even noticed two ponies who had been fighting were now having a drink with each other. Her attention however, was snapped back as Cross began talking about the possibility of going to a carnival together. She looked up at him with a surprised expression as he finished his sentence. She could tell he was quite nervous and she put a fore hoof to her muzzle and giggled a little before looking back to Cross, "I would love to" she said with a smile, feeling her own cheeks warm a little. She was definitely flattered, and considering everything she had little to loose by saying no. Besides he seemed like a genuine stallion anyway.

Gentle smiled. "I don't have a home yet," she reminded him. "I still have yet to find a place to stay. I don't really know how to go about it, either."

She took another small sip of the cider, letting its interesting taste linger in her mouth. "I won't drink too much of this. I've been told that in small amounts, alcohol is a very healthy thing to drink. In large amounts, it can be dangerous. I believe I'll stick to the smaller amounts."

"Glad to hear you like it, first thing i did today that didn't end in failure."

"First thing you did today that didn't end in failure? Arc, you just introduced somepony to alcohol and you call it a win?",the little analyst in the back of his head showed his presence. Arc shushed him.

"Anyway, it's really a pleasure to meet you two, and there's lot room to choose from. Far too much free room..."

"Well, then, I'd be glad to fill some room in," Breeze smiled, now used to the brown pony's presence. "I'm sure more ponies will fill up more space. Who knows? Maybe one day, this won't be a wasteland anymore."

'm far too optimistic, Gently thought to herself. But somepony has to be the one to look up instead of down.

Atrairk took his arm off from around Gentle and took another sip of the glass of scotch. This was nice, talking with ponies that he knew and drinking scotch.

"Oh, I thought you did have one. Well, I'm low on caps, I may not be able to get a room." Atriark said, glancing at his saddle bags. Atriark chose to not comment on Gentle's hope. He hoped it as well, but it probably wouldn't happen in his life time.

"I have 90 caps." Gentle told him. "I don't know if that'll get me much here."

She sighed, wondering if she would get paid much at the hospital. She hadn't really officially taken a lone shift as of yet; she had Winter over her shoulder the whole time.

"And one day we won't be here to care at all about it, but in the meantime, what kind of asshat would not help mare in need, if it's going to be necessary, i'll lend in a helping hoof. But, if you honestly feel like moving to town, it would be more time and caps efficient to look through census data and find yourself an empty house, there are few nice ones still left after the battle, and most of them have power back online too. I'm afraid that the state of Stabletons' plumbing is matter im not well versed in though, so... i went off the subject, haven't i? Anyway, i'm sure we can help you in this."

Gently bowed her head slightly, with a smile. "Thank you very much, sir. I must pay you back for any trouble I cause you. If you could help me, that would be very much appreciated. I plan to move here, but I may go traveling at some point in the future. I would still like a home, though, and here is perfect."

Atriark took a sip from his scotch, preferring to listen and see where things were heading. Seems like his old friend may be getting a house soon.

"I do hope you can find her a house. A mare her should have a place that she can call home," Atriark took another sip. "So, what have you been up to Gentle, since I left. I know that you broke from your shell, but I don't know much else."

"Actually, before we start trading stories, there's one idea i have."
"Gentle, what do you do for living? We could use somepony who isn't totting guns all day, but unfortunately, those had the highest chance of survival during the battle. A person with medical or technological knowledge would be very welcome, and we could use that as a bargaining chip during the search, possibly even to avoid having you to pay the rent out front. I mean, i can't promise anything solid, but it would certainly help."

"I see," Breeze said thoughtfully. "I'm a medic for a living. Or a doctor, whichever you'd like to call me. I do have a lot of non-medical scientific knowledge, as well; almost as much, even. I don't expect there to be many medics or doctors around; there weren't many in Stable 113."

"Somepony with medical experience would certainly be a Celestias' blessing at this point, that most certainly will ease our situation with finding you a place, and if you can do some tech stuff, well, i don't think we will have much trouble really. Anyway, so what brought you here, Gentle? I doubt it was local alcoholic products."

"I came to Stableton to get a job at a hospital. I came in here because I heard a gunshot, but it looks like the situation there's already been taken care of," Gentle explained. "I stayed because I found an old friend." She glanced at Atriark's face.

Atriark smiled when Gentle Breeze looked at him. He felt something stirring inside. Was his feeling for her coming back? Did she have feeling for him? Last he'd known of her feelings was that he was a scary zebra that tried to get her to talk.

"So," he sipped some scotch "what have you been up to in the year or so since we last met?" He said, asking both ponies.

"Not much on my side, i'm afraid. I signed up with the godessesdamned scavengers, spend most of the year running around old buildings and getting my ass shot up... Well, and during the battle i got stranded behind enemy lines and spent most of it hiding. And somewhere during all this, i also landed a desk job here, though i don't really do much at it."

Ark took a sip of whiskey.

"Wish i had more exciting story to tell, but that's that."

"I started working to become a full-fledged doctor, and began researching other sciences, too. I know a lot of physics and chemistry. One day, I might start making medicines, specially made," Gently smiled, longing in her eyes for a future she hoped to have in her specialty.

I'm glad he still cares so much, Breeze thought to herself, leaning her head against him some, as a gesture of friendliness. I thought the wasteland would take away his willingness to have a friendship with me.

Atriark finished off his scotch and set it on a nearby table.

"So, I go and join up a caravan and miss a battle. Well that's unfortunate." The zebra turned to the mare. "I hope you are able to do that someday. It will help so many."

Arc levitated hiw glass in front of his face and proceeded to observe world around him through the amber filter of whiskey.

"As much as noble the medicine might seem, the chemistry, and most importatntly physics along with its' sister mathematics, are in the end the true key to governing anything. It's been quite some time since i met somepony with actual interest on the matter, that is, trying to undestand not only how things work, but also why."

Arc turned his head towards Gentle Breeze.
"I must admit, Breeze, i'm honored to meet you, honestly. Haven't met many with actual brain in their heads, Atriark being one of the few amongst them."

Dash ignored what Cross said and nodded to Mona, "Sounds like a deal to me." he said, in a flash the caps bounced to the counter from Dash's hoof. Any amount of money, whether he was low on it or not was not worth his or his brother's life. It seemed as though the story about his brother had no effect on her, or really any pony else for that matter. He felt a slight bit bitter inside that no pony else had seen it the way he had, but now that it seemed like the initial hubbub over it had stopped he figured it didn't really matter that much, anymore, anyways. Dash went back over to his 9mm and picked it up, putting it directly into the holster on his vest, of course, before looking back at Mona and Cocktail, "Is there anything else I can do? I mean... I want to have a good image around here, and I need work anyways to get more experience."

"I hope I can. It's my lifelong dream." Gently sat next to Atriark with a smile. She turned to Arc, then. "Thank you very much, sir," she smiled kindly. "If there is ever anything I can help you with, it would be my pleasure."

"Well thanks Arc. But Gentle here is smarter than me, she actually liked to pay attention to the boring stuff we were taught. I like much better to be shown what to do than be told." Atriark glanced to the sitting Gentle Breeze. "Well, I do need a place to stay."

Arc finished the glass and floated it back to the bar.

"Indeed. Well, i'm afraid it's too late today to get it done, the office is already closed, so you'll have rent a room around here somewhere for tonight. I guess that Coctail might have a free room, so that's worth a try, and next thing tommorow morning we'll get the paperwork sorted out and go real estate shopping."

"So you two, another round, or you had enough this evening?"